Cyber Incident Response Checklist

1. Incident Reporting:

• Establish clear channels and procedures for reporting cyber incidents promptly.
• Designate specific personnel or teams responsible for receiving and documenting incident reports.
• Include contact information for reporting incidents, such as a dedicated email address or phone number.

2. Incident Assessment:

• Define criteria for classifying incidents based on severity and impact.
• Establish a process for assessing the nature and extent of the incident.
• Determine the appropriate response actions based on the assessment, considering factors like data sensitivity, potential compromise, and legal requirements.

3. Containment and Mitigation:

• Define steps to isolate affected systems or networks from the rest of the infrastructure.
• Disable compromised accounts or services to prevent further unauthorized access.
• Implement temporary measures to minimize the spread and impact of the incident, such as firewall rules or network segmentation.

4. Evidence Preservation:

• Establish procedures for preserving digital evidence related to the incident.
• Define guidelines for collecting, storing, and securing evidence to support forensic investigations or legal proceedings.
• Document the chain of custody for evidence to ensure its admissibility and integrity.

5. Incident Response Team Activation:

• Identify key personnel and their roles within the incident response team.
• Define criteria and procedures for activating the response team based on incident severity or specific triggers.
• Establish communication channels and protocols for coordinating the response efforts among team members.

6. Communication and Notification:

• Establish a communication plan for internal and external stakeholders, including employees, executives, customers, and regulators.
• Define the content, timing, and channels for incident-related communications, ensuring transparency and managing public perception.
• Comply with legal and regulatory obligations for reporting incidents to relevant authorities or affected individuals.

7. Recovery and Restoration:

• Define procedures for restoring affected systems or networks to a secure state.
• Conduct post-incident analysis to identify vulnerabilities or weaknesses in existing controls.
• Implement remediation measures to address identified issues and prevent future incidents.

8. Lessons Learned and Documentation:

• Conduct a post-mortem analysis of the incident response process to identify areas for improvement.
• Document lessons learned, including successful strategies, challenges faced, and recommendations for future incident response.
• Update the Cyber Incident Response Checklist based on the insights gained from the incident and subsequent analysis.

9. Training and Awareness:

• Provide regular training sessions to educate employees about their roles and responsibilities in incident response.
• Conduct simulated exercises or tabletop drills to test the effectiveness of the checklist and the incident response team's capabilities.
• Promote a culture of cybersecurity awareness throughout the organization, emphasizing the importance of incident reporting and timely response.

10. Continuous Improvement:

• Establish a process for regularly reviewing and updating the Cyber Incident Response Checklist.
• Stay abreast of emerging cyber threats, industry best practices, and regulatory changes to ensure the checklist remains up to date.
• Continuously evaluate and enhance incident response capabilities to strengthen the organization's overall cybersecurity posture.